Jermaine Jackson: The Overlooked Brother’s Life and Legacy

If you know anything about the Jackson family, you know the spotlight always found Michael, and later Janet. But there’s a middle brother who carved his own path with a bass guitar in hand and a stubborn loyalty that cost him his spot in the group. Jermaine Jackson lived through Motown’s golden era, a messy family feud, a conversion to Islam, and the strange situation of two brothers marrying the same woman — which is exactly the kind of story that deserves more than a footnote.

Full name: Jermaine La Jaune Jackson ·
Born: December 11, 1954, Gary, Indiana ·
Role in Jackson 5: Second vocalist and bass guitarist ·
Years active: 1964–present ·
Number of marriages: 3 ·
Number of children: 7

Eight key facts, one pattern: Jermaine’s biography is a story of loyalty to Motown, complicated family ties, and a solo career that never quite escaped the shadow of his younger brother. Here’s the data.

Why did Jermaine Jackson get kicked out of the Jackson 5?

The Motown vs. Epic Records dispute

In 1975, the Jackson 5 was at a crossroads. The group had been signed to Motown Records since 1969 (Britannica (encyclopedia)), but the brothers wanted more creative control and a better financial deal. They decided to leave Motown for Epic Records, a subsidiary of CBS. Jermaine did not go with them. He stayed at Motown, and his brother Randy took his place in what became the Jacksons (Britannica (encyclopedia)).

Jermaine’s loyalty to Motown and his father-in-law

The decision wasn’t just about music. Jermaine had married Hazel Gordy on December 15, 1973 — she was the daughter of Motown founder Berry Gordy (Spanish Wikipedia (crowdsourced encyclopedia)). Staying with Motown kept Jermaine tied to his father-in-law’s company while the rest of his family walked out the door. For Jermaine, it was a choice between family loyalty on two fronts: blood family versus the man who was both his label boss and his father-in-law.

The aftermath: leaving the group in 1975

He was not kicked out. He chose to stay. But the effect was the same: Jermaine was no longer part of the Jackson 5. He launched a solo career that same year, releasing his debut album Jermaine — though his first solo single, Daddy’s Home, had already come out in 1972 and become a Top 10 hit on the Billboard charts (Classic Motown (Motown’s official archive)). The single reportedly sold over one million copies (IMDb (entertainment database)).

The pattern: Jermaine’s 1975 decision defined the rest of his career. He had early solo success with songs like Let’s Get Serious, Do What You Do, and I Think It’s Love (IMDb (entertainment database); The Jacksons (official band site)), but his hits grew fewer as the 1980s progressed.

Which Jackson brother was jealous of Michael Jackson?

Rumors of sibling rivalry

Multiple Jackson brothers have spoken about the competition that festered inside the family as Michael’s fame dwarfed everyone else’s. Jermaine, as the second-oldest performing brother, was in the most direct competition with Michael. In interviews, Jermaine admitted to feelings of envy. The rivalry was not one-sided: Michael reportedly refused to work with Jermaine on the 1984 Victory Tour unless Jermaine first paid back money he owed to the group’s accounts (Wikipedia (crowdsourced encyclopedia)).

Jermaine’s public statements about Michael

After Michael’s death in 2009, Jermaine spoke publicly about their complicated relationship. He described moments of closeness but acknowledged the professional jealousy that had simmered for years. The debt dispute during the Victory Tour became a wedge that neither brother fully removed.

Michael’s perspective on his brothers

Michael’s autobiography Moonwalk touches on the tensions, though it avoids naming Jermaine directly in the most pointed passages. What is clear: Michael was aware of the financial strains his brothers placed on the group’s earnings, and he made demands — including the repayment of debts — before agreeing to tour with them in 1984.

The implication: sibling rivalry in the Jackson family was less about hatred and more about the impossible pressure of sharing a stage with someone who became the world’s biggest star. Jermaine was the brother closest to Michael in age and role, which made the comparison hardest to bear.

Which two Jackson brothers married the same woman?

Jermaine’s first wife: Hazel Gordy

Jermaine married Hazel Gordy on December 15, 1973 (Spanish Wikipedia (crowdsourced encyclopedia)). She was the daughter of Berry Gordy, Motown’s founder, making the marriage a powerful alliance between the Jackson family and Motown’s leadership. Jermaine and Hazel had three children together (Britannica (encyclopedia)). They divorced in 1988.

Randy Jackson’s marriage to Hazel Gordy

After Jermaine and Hazel’s divorce, Hazel married Jermaine’s younger brother Randy Jackson in the 1980s (Wikipedia (crowdsourced encyclopedia)). The marriage produced children, meaning Hazel was both the mother of Jermaine’s children and the stepmother of Randy’s children from that union.

Timeline and family dynamics

The situation created a uniquely tangled Jackson family tree. Hazel Gordy is the only woman in the family’s history to have been married to two Jackson brothers. The marriages overlapped with the group’s shifting dynamics — Jermaine had already left the group when Randy joined, and the romantic entanglement added another layer of complexity to an already strained family.

What this means: the Jackson family’s internal relationships were as messy as their public image was polished. Two brothers marrying the same woman is not a footnote — it’s a window into the closed world of a family that lived and worked together for decades.

How many Jackson 5 brothers have passed away?

List of deceased Jackson siblings

Three of the nine Jackson siblings have died. Michael Jackson died on June 25, 2009, from acute propofol intoxication (Wikipedia (crowdsourced encyclopedia)). Tito Jackson died on September 15, 2024 (Wikipedia (crowdsourced encyclopedia)). Their sister Janet, though not a member of the Jackson 5, is alive. The group’s patriarch, Joe Jackson, died in 2018.

Cause of death for each

Michael Jackson’s death was ruled a homicide caused by a combination of drugs administered by his personal physician, Conrad Murray. Tito Jackson’s cause of death has been reported as natural causes, though specific details have not been widely published. Joe Jackson died from pancreatic cancer (Wikipedia (crowdsourced encyclopedia)).

Surviving Jackson 5 members

Three of the original Jackson 5 brothers are still living: Jermaine (born 1954), Jackie (born 1951), and Marlon (born 1957). Randy, who replaced Jermaine in the group, is also alive. The surviving brothers continue to perform occasionally at tribute events and family gatherings.

The pattern: the Jackson 5 has lost two of its original five members, but the core of the group remains active in public life. Jermaine, now 70, is the only one of the original brothers to have converted to Islam and maintained a solo career outside the group’s umbrella.

Who did Michael Jackson refuse to work with?

Jermaine Jackson as a refused collaborator

Michael Jackson refused to work with Jermaine on the 1984 Victory Tour unless Jermaine paid off debts he owed to the group’s accounts (Wikipedia (crowdsourced encyclopedia)). The debt amount has never been publicly verified, but the condition was firm: Jermaine would not share the stage with his brothers until the money was returned.

Specific incidents and tours

The Victory Tour was the Jackson brothers’ first tour together since Jermaine left the group in 1975. Jermaine did participate in the tour, which suggests the debt issue was resolved or at least deferred. But the tension was documented: Michael’s demands reflected his growing control over the family’s business affairs and his frustration with what he saw as financial mismanagement by his brothers.

The 1984 Victory Tour tensions

The tour was a commercial success but marred by backstage drama. Jermaine later said the debt issue was overblown by the media, but he acknowledged that money had caused friction. The brothers eventually reconciled, but the Victory Tour marked the last time all the Jackson brothers performed together as a full unit.

Why this matters: the Victory Tour debt dispute is the clearest documented example of Michael Jackson using his leverage to control family business. It shows a side of Michael that the public rarely saw: the businessman protecting his earnings from what he perceived as his brothers’ financial carelessness.

Timeline

• 1954 – Jermaine Jackson born in Gary, Indiana (Britannica (encyclopedia))
• 1964 – Joins the Jackson 5 as second vocalist and bass guitarist (IMDb (entertainment database))
• 1972 – Solo debut single Daddy’s Home hits Top 10 (Classic Motown (Motown’s official archive))
• 1973 – Marries Hazel Gordy, daughter of Berry Gordy (Spanish Wikipedia (crowdsourced encyclopedia))
• 1975 – Leaves Jackson 5; stays with Motown as brothers join Epic (Britannica (encyclopedia))
• 1984 – Victory Tour: Michael demands debt repayment before including Jermaine (Wikipedia (crowdsourced encyclopedia))

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  Lachlan Jack Wilson Martin

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